KOZHIKODE: In his first public speech since the Uri terror attack in which 18 soldiers were killed, Modi hit out at the "rulers" of Pakistan for "exporting terror" to the world and said he wanted to talk directly to the people of the neighbouring country.
The Prime Minister tried to balance the war cry among a section of citizens against Pakistan by urging a "war" with Pakistanis against poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and infant mortality - and a race to breast the tape first.
Here are top 10 quotes from his address:
1: Modi began by chastising Pakistan for "sponsoring" terrorism in India and declared: "Hindustan has never bent nor will it ever bend. Terrorists will be defeated. Terrorists, open your ears wide and listen, this country will never forget this issue (the Uri killings)."
2: "I wish to tell the people of Pakistan that your rulers warned us of a thousand-year war to deceive you. I'm ready for the challenge. Our government in Delhi is ready to accept your challenge. Pakistan's people, India is ready to fight with you. Come forward, if you have the courage," he said.
3: The fight between the two of us is to remove poverty. You will fight to remove poverty, I will fight to remove poverty and let us see who wins first."
4: From here on, I wish to speak to Pakistan's awaam (people).
5: I want to remind them that before 1947, your ancestors were part of our soil, you treated our soil as your homeland. Recalling your ancestors, I want to tell you that Pakistan has never held itself together. It could not keep East Bengal, it cannot hold Gilgit, Sind, the Pakhtuns, Balochistan. These are all part of you and yet you keep talking of Kashmir. The rulers are deceiving the people of Pakistan.
6: He urged the "awaam" to "ask your rulers why India exports software and Pakistan exports terrorists" and virtually urged them to revolt, saying: "The day is not far when Pakistanis will fight their rulers for encouraging terrorists."
7: Without naming Pakistan, he said: "This country is out to drench Asia in blood. Its government is dedicated to fostering terrorism. Whenever there is a terror strike in Asia, the victim country holds this country culpable.... This country either sends terrorists trained on its soil to strike outside or gives permanent refuge to Osama bin Laden. Terrorism is humanity's enemy. Those committed to humanity have to join to fight it."
8: The entire country was filled with anger when 18 of our jawans fell to terrorists from a neighbouring country.
9: Never before were 110 terrorists killed in such a short span.... In one incident, 18 soldiers died; but think of the state of our country had the 17 previous attacks succeeded. (He recalled how India's soldiers had over the past four months foiled 17 terror strikes.)
10: My beloved compatriots, our army jawans, our paramilitary forces, the CRPF, BSF, J&K police, the Northeast police, have won the combats and not just because they were armed. Arms are just toys for them. They won through sheer will power. Their will power lifts our morale - and our morale, the morale of 125 crore people, is the source of strength for our soldiers.